University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Ferguson Named Semifinalist for NFF Campbell Trophy
Sep 27, 2017 | Football
Memphis senior quarterback one of 181 candidates for scholar-athlete award
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis senior quarterback Riley Ferguson has been named as a finalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually to the nation's top football scholar-athlete.
"In my opinion the Campbell Trophy is the top award in college football," Memphis head coach Mike Norvell said. "It's prestigious because it covers all grounds, it looks at the individual, the student, the things they do away from the field and takes into account what they do on the field. It is a tremendous honor that Riley is a semifinalist for it."
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, where one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 28th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Ferguson has passed for 4,481 yards and 40 touchdowns in his 16 career games for the Tigers. He stands in the top-5 of several career passing categories at Memphis. Ferguson is fourth in program history in passing yards and touchdowns, and fifth with 335 completions on 542 attempts.
A native of Matthews, N.C., Ferguson threw for 3,698 yards and a school-record 32 touchdowns last season. He ranked second in the American Athletic Conference with 284.5 yards passing per game and a 152.7 passer efficiency rating. His 3,698 passing yards rank second only to 2016 NFL First Round draft pick Paxton Lynch in the Memphis record book.
Ferguson was 280-of-443 passing last season, posting seven 300-plus yard passing performances and becoming just the third quarterback in school history to pass for over 400 yards in a game. His 400-yard game came in a regular-season finale win over No. 18/21 Houston.
A great student as well, Ferguson has compiled a 3.21 GPA as an Interdisciplinary Studies major. Along with his time spent on the field, he has volunteered at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and LeBonheur Children's Hospital.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments, and it has recognized 828 outstanding individuals since its inception. The Campbell Trophy®, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's prestige, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks.
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include FootballMatters.org, the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy® presented by Fidelity Investments, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future.
"In my opinion the Campbell Trophy is the top award in college football," Memphis head coach Mike Norvell said. "It's prestigious because it covers all grounds, it looks at the individual, the student, the things they do away from the field and takes into account what they do on the field. It is a tremendous honor that Riley is a semifinalist for it."
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, where one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 28th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Ferguson has passed for 4,481 yards and 40 touchdowns in his 16 career games for the Tigers. He stands in the top-5 of several career passing categories at Memphis. Ferguson is fourth in program history in passing yards and touchdowns, and fifth with 335 completions on 542 attempts.
A native of Matthews, N.C., Ferguson threw for 3,698 yards and a school-record 32 touchdowns last season. He ranked second in the American Athletic Conference with 284.5 yards passing per game and a 152.7 passer efficiency rating. His 3,698 passing yards rank second only to 2016 NFL First Round draft pick Paxton Lynch in the Memphis record book.
Ferguson was 280-of-443 passing last season, posting seven 300-plus yard passing performances and becoming just the third quarterback in school history to pass for over 400 yards in a game. His 400-yard game came in a regular-season finale win over No. 18/21 Houston.
A great student as well, Ferguson has compiled a 3.21 GPA as an Interdisciplinary Studies major. Along with his time spent on the field, he has volunteered at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and LeBonheur Children's Hospital.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments, and it has recognized 828 outstanding individuals since its inception. The Campbell Trophy®, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's prestige, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks.
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include FootballMatters.org, the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy® presented by Fidelity Investments, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future.
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